Adventure Magazine

Although it had continued to rain overnight by morning
the weather had cleared and blue skies surrounded
us, highlighting the fresh dusting of snow that had
fallen overnight. The day before we had made a
mark on one of the rocks in the stream close to the
hut so we would be able to see if the water levels
had changed overnight. We were encouraged to
see a drop on the rock so continued on towards the
Whakapapaiti River. Prepared to turn around if we
had to, we were pleased to see the river had dropped
enough for a safe crossing enabling us to return to our
car via the Whakapapaiti Valley Track.
The Whakapapaiti Valley really is simply spectacular.
The only downside of walking it in reverse is that
we had to keep looking over our shoulder to take in
the view behind us. The day before we had walked
mainly through the volcanic rock we associate with Mt
Ruapehu, but today the terrain changed regularly. Due
to the heavy rain the previous days there were plenty
of puddles on the marshy tussock of the valley floor.
The track eventually left the tussock section of the
valley and we headed into a lush beech forest where
we crossed numerous bridges and streams as we
made our way down the mountain. The variety of
terrain was a highlight; with boardwalks, dirt tracks,
river crossing and mountain forests.
As we drew closer to Whakapapa Village the track
split in two offering the option of heading back via
Silica Rapids or keeping to the trail. We chose to
leave Silica Rapids and continued down the trail back
to Whakapapaiti Village, determined to return another
day.
Whakapapaiti Valley Track can be walked as a circuit
in one day, although with so much to see and explore I
would thoroughly recommend staying a night or two in
the hut. It is an excellent tramp to take children into as
the walk times give plenty of time for an afternoon of
exploration of the streams and waterfalls near the hut.
Editors Picks:
The Jetboil Stash Cooking System, makes heating water and cooking your meals quick and its
stashes down into a compact carry bag which is super lightweight. www.jetboil.co.nz
Backcountry Cuisine meals, this hike we ate Roast Chicken for dinner and Apple and Berry Crumble
for breakfast, both were delicious. www.backcountrycuisine.co.nz
Macpac Dragonfly 400 sleeping bag, lightweight but super warm, great for the cold and snowy night.
www.macpac.co.nz
Above: Views behind us of Mt Ruapehu make walking the track simply spectacular